As data breaches often dominate Internet security news, we should pay more attention to the strength of our passwords.
However, most of us have no idea what kind of passwords are easy to hack. We create passwords in our own way.
Here are some easy-to-hack passwords, let’s check whether your password is one of them:
Short passwords
If your passwords contain less than 6 characters, there is little to no security for your account. The shorter your password is, the faster the hacker can get access to the private data on your account.
Commonly used passwords
There is an annual list of the world’s most common passwords released by SplashData. If your passwords are among these widely used passwords, your accounts are really vulnerable to hackers. You’d better change them immediately.
Words from the dictionary
If your password includes words from the dictionary in any language, it is easier for a hacker to guess. Additionally, passwords contain dictionary words with replacement characters should also be avoided. For example, “p@$$w0rd” and “F@v0rit3”.
Passwords created by repeating characters
“123456”, “88888888” and “abcdef” are good examples of passwords created by repeating characters or characters that are positioned in series. They are among the most common passwords. Make sure your passwords are not created in this way.
Passwords containing personal information
When creating a password, most of us usually think of our personal information, including name, birthday, pet’s name and so on. It’s quite easy for hackers to obtain such kind of information. Maybe they just need to follow you on Facebook. If your password includes personal information like birthday, your password would be so weak that hackers can decipher it with ease.
Pass phrase
Another easy-to-hack password is one that is built on a pass phrase. An example would be “iloveyou”. It also includes phrases taken from a movie, an ad or a book.
Keyboard pattern and swipes
Some passwords look random, but they are actually based on keyboard patterns. For example, “!@#$%^&*”, “qwerty” or “1qaz2wsx”.
Passwords incorporating the username
What’s worse, some people even use part of their usernames to form a password. This is one of the easiest passwords for hackers to decipher.
Now that I’ve shown you the weak passwords that you should avoid, change your password right now if it is in them.
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